Macaroon Delight

Forget the afternoon delight- these elegant, crispy yet chewy cookies will put it to shame, and they're good enough to make you consider a move to France. Almost.


Little pairs better with tea than these delicate espresso-blackberry macaroons from the September issue of Gourmet. Follow its recipe, and you too can conjure an effortlessly glamorous Paris apresmidi with your next cup of tea.

These little orbs, sugary and light like meringues, have an additional, toothsome sweetness from the ground almonds that get mixed into the cookie batter.

And when they're embracing each other through a smear of that late-summer star, blackberry, they're as irresistible as that pair of shoes you just had to buy, but have never worn.


But these macaroons aren't too beautiful to be enjoyed; in fact, their beauty is only fully realized once you shatter the crisp exterior and discover the lush chewiness inside.

With such a well-heeled treat, a plain tea won't do, so I came up with a blackberry-basil iced tea to accompany the macaroons. I actually woke up from a rare nap (summoning your inner French pastry chef can be a bit exhausting) dreaming of this tea, and it turned out as delicious as I imagined.

Blackberry-Basil Syrup
Makes: about 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan, mix together 1 cup blackberries, 3-4 tablespoons sugar or honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and several sprigs fresh basil.

Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes, until berries have burst. Add more sugar or lemon, to taste, if needed. Remove from heat and refrigerate until chilled.

Pour a few tablespoons of the syrup slowly into tall glasses of cold-brewed black tea- I used Darjeeling so as to not compete with the bright flavor of the berries- and garnish with additional basil leaves.

Then help yourself to a few more of those stylish macaroons, and enjoy them as much as I do my shoes.